Russia Tough On ‘Weed’ Ware

Russia has a provision in their Advertising Law that makes it illegal to advertise drugs, as well as an article in the Administrative Code on the “promotion of narcotic and psychotropic substances and their precursors.” The Federal Drug Control Service has pressed charges against vendors of T-shirts and jewellry with images of marijuana. A vendor was recently arrested for selling cell phone covers that feature an image of a cannabis leaf. Nikolai Sumburov, a Russian federal narcotics agent, stated that the sale of drug paraphernalia is as important as snaring dealers. He continued, “16 and 17-year-old teenagers buy the cell phone so they can consider themselves to be part of the so-called subculture…then they start thinking about trying the drug.”

Source: The Moscow Times, September 1, 2004.
For the entire article click on www.educatingvoices.org/EVINews.asp